Coach Barry Hinson hugs senior guard Mike Rodriguez as he and fellow senior guard Leo Vincent walk off the floor for the last time in their Saluki careers Saturday, March 4, 2017, during SIU’s 63-50 loss to Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament semifinals at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. (Sean Carley | @SeanMCarley)

Sean Carley

Coach Barry Hinson hugs senior guard Mike Rodriguez as he and fellow senior guard Leo Vincent walk off the floor for the last time in their Saluki careers Saturday, March 4, 2017, during SIU’s 63-50 loss to Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament semifinals at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. (Sean Carley | @SeanMCarley)

Sean Carley

Sean Carley

Coach Barry Hinson hugs senior guard Mike Rodriguez as he and fellow senior guard Leo Vincent walk off the floor for the last time in their Saluki careers Saturday, March 4, 2017, during SIU’s 63-50 loss to Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament semifinals at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. (Sean Carley | @SeanMCarley)

SIU couldn’t do anything defensively to stop the Redbirds 3-point barrage in the first half. They shot 9-15 (60 percent) from behind the arc in the first half — a lot of their runs sparked by a 3-pointer.

“That goes for anything if they’re hitting shots like that,” senior guard Mike Rodriguez said.” They’re able to beat anybody in the country.”

The Salukis went into halftime trailing 43-20.

SIU’s three seniors combined for 19 points (7-25 shooting).

“We have not yet played our best basketball,” Hinson said. “I wish I could put a thumb on it. We never got all three [seniors] going.”

Illinois State started the second half just like they did the first.

Sean Carley Freshman guard Aaron Cook, right, consoles senior guard Mike Rodriguez as he walks off the floor for the final time in his collegiate career Saturday, March 4, 2017, after SIU’s 63-50 loss to Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament semifinals at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. (Sean Carley | @SeanMCarley)

After sophomore guard Armon Fletcher made a jumpshot for the first basket, ISU went on a 9-0 run — all 3-pointers — to give them a 30 point advantage.

The Salukis showed some signs of life late, going on two 9-0 runs and finally a late game push to get themselves within 13 points.

“I kind of stopped looking at the scoreboard,” Rodriguez said.” I kind of just went into — just reminiscing my last couple minutes of college basketball. So I just realized that we lost by 13 at the end. I think we were just playing just because it was the last time together.”

That surge came too late in the game and Illinois State walked away with a 63-50 victory.

Illinois State will advance to the championship game at 1 p.m. on Sunday against the winner of the Missouri State and Wichita State matchup in the Scottrade Center.

“[SIU] has a really good core group of guys coming back,” senior forward Sean O’Brien said. “If they just work hard and someone takes ahold of the team and leads them, they can be really good. We can be really good.”

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